254: He is a Playboy

Monday, Lunch Break.

As usual, Yukino arrived at the service department, sat by the window, and began reading a book.

Not long after, faint sounds of girls' conversations and footsteps echoed in the corridor outside the door.

There was a gentle knock on the club door.

"I'm coming in, Yukino-chan."

The door opened, and Yui walked in with a smile, waving her hand.

"Good afternoon."

"Good afternoon, Yukinoshita-senpai."

Iroha followed closely behind, mimicking Yui's cheerful gesture after closing the club door.

As they spent more time together, she was no longer intimidated by this senior, who initially seemed unsociable and difficult to approach.

Yukino placed a bookmark in her novel and greeted them with a faint smile.

"Good afternoon."

"It's really hot today."

Yui walked to the back of the club, grabbed two chairs, and placed them next to Yukino before sitting down with Iroha.

"Well, it is summer after all," Iroha remarked, turning her palms into fans and gently blowing air towards her forehead and collar.

Yukino observed them for a moment, hesitated, and then took out a pack of wet wipes from her pocket, handing it to them.

"If you don't mind, please use this."

"Ah, thank you, Yukino-chan!"

"That's a big help, senpai!"

The two girls expressed their gratitude, tore open the package of wet wipes, and wiped the sweat from their foreheads and necks.

The sticky feeling of sweat vanished, replaced by a refreshing sensation that helped them relax a bit.

"I rarely see Yukinoshita-senpai sweating."

"That's because Yukino-chan is always so elegant, unlike us who love to run around." 

"Speaking of which, the scent of this wet wipe is quite similar to that of Yukino-chan; it has a faint jasmine fragrance."

"When Yuigahama-senpai mentioned it, I thought it might be true."

Both of them brought the wet wipes to their noses and sniffed simultaneously, then looked at Yukino at the same time.

Yukino sighed helplessly, "What's going on with you two? Are you possessed by an uncle?"

Her rare display of annoyance elicited chuckles from both girls.

After resting for a while and feeling less hot, Iroha placed the biscuits she had brought on the table and opened the package.

She pushed it toward the middle and spoke expectantly, "Well, I learned to make these at home. Please give them a try. I'd love to hear your comments and suggestions."

Yui clapped her hands. "Ah, Isshiki-chan really listened to my idea!"

"That's because it was a good suggestion. Please try it first."

"Then I won't be polite."

Yui picked up a bear-shaped cookie, rested her chin on her other hand, took a bite, and her eyes lit up.

"It's delicious! The milky flavor is so good."

"Really? Yukinoshita-senpai, please don't be shy!"

At Iroha's urging, Yukino thanked her and also picked up a cookie.

She stared at the heart-shaped biscuit in her hand, hesitated for a moment, then took a bite. After savoring the taste, she nodded in approval.

There was truly nothing wrong with the taste of the homemade biscuits before her.

However, Yukino couldn't agree with Iroha's motivations for making the cookies.

This all began last weekend when Iroha expressed her desire to become popular with boys and formally requested help from the Service Club.

That day, the three of them—Yui, Yukino, and Iroha—each offered their own suggestions.

Yukino's advice was practical yet difficult to implement quickly. Her general guidance was to focus on self-improvement.

This included enhancing her academic performance, athletic abilities, fashion sense, and developing a lovable personality. 

By becoming better herself, Iroha would naturally draw attention and wouldn't need to do anything forced to become popular with boys.

In contrast, Yui's suggestions were much more direct and could be executed in a short time.

In essence, she advised Iroha to identify which boy she wanted to impress, get closer to him, and eventually things would fall into place.

This conclusion was derived from Yui's readings of romance manga and lacked any real theoretical backing, resembling Iroha's original plan.

As a result, it was clear that Iroha leaned towards Yui's idea.

While Yukino's advice made sense and Iroha wanted to improve herself, the reality didn't allow her to proceed at a leisurely pace.

From what she knew, Chisato already had two attractive girls by his side. If she followed Yukino's suggestions slowly, too many variables would arise. There was a chance the other girls might distract him.

Iroha didn't want to spoil other people's potential relationships.

But before all was settled, she had to try her best to fight until the end.

Moreover, she had a unique advantage.

Such an experience—did anyone else have that advantage?

To a certain extent, being hand-in-hand for a lifetime created a bond that felt like it had already been established over many years.

With this first-mover advantage, as long as everything was executed properly and she could evoke empathy in Chisato, it would be hard for her to lose.

Ever since Iroha confirmed her idea and began putting it into action, her confidence had remained high.

She know that Brother Chisato has two attractive girls with unknown connections. 

She don't know the nature of their relationships or their backgrounds, but she is confident that she can outshine them. 

Once she officially take action, the situation will start to completely reverse.

All in all, it can be said that due to a lack of information, Iroha is currently in a state of blind optimism.

Iroha don't know how long this mindset will last, but one thing is certain: without an external shock to make her confront reality, this mentality will undoubtedly persist.

"If there's nothing wrong with the taste of the biscuits, the next step is how to deliver them."

After licking the cookie crumbs off her fingertips, Yui raised her chin and gazed at the ceiling, pondering the question.

"For instance, celebrations, birthday parties, dinner gatherings, etc. At events with a good atmosphere, it would be easy to distribute homemade cookies."

Iroha listened to her words and considered the next step.

Although she had exchanged contact information with Chisato before, she realized that asking him to meet without a reason and presenting him with cookies she made might come off as too direct and dry, lacking any subtlety or tact.

She need to think of a better reason...

Ah, right!

Iroha's eyes suddenly lit up as she leaned closer to Yukino and asked softly, "Yukinoshita-senpai, your next-door neighbor... he just moved in not long ago, right?"

During a previous conversation in the living room of Suzumiya's house, she had heard Chisato casually mention this, but she wanted to confirm.

This inquiry undoubtedly clarified the target behind her previous commission.

Yui blushed at the side, feeling a surge of boldness in her heart despite having no experience in love.

Yukino glanced at Iroha with sparkling eyes. Deep down, she genuinely hoped Iroha wouldn't develop a relationship with her new neighbor, who had a reputation as a playboy.

After all, based on what she knew, her neighbor's private life could be described as "corrupt," and he was nothing short of a scumbag.

The only redeeming quality he seemed to have was his slender figure and looks that surpassed those of ordinary men. Judging by his appearance, he could easily become a model.

However, this superficial quality was rendered useless without solid inner virtues.

Yukino understood that this was merely her own evaluation; in the eyes of others, the situation might be completely different.

Now that Iroha had openly revealed her desire to pursue someone, Yukino believed it was necessary to change her attitude. 

Instead of simply waiting and observing silently, she decided to share what she had learned, informing this lively and charming schoolgirl of the situation for her consideration.

It was ultimately up to Iroha to decide whether to continue her pursuit or to temper her heart, which had yet to fully ignite.

"Indeed, he moved here not long ago. It seems he has only been here for a few days," Yukino replied honestly.

As Iroha secretly clenched her fists, the smile on her face brightened again. Yukino paused for a moment before continuing, "However, there are some things you need to be aware of."

Yukino's suddenly serious expression stunned Iroha and caused Yui to sit up straight beside her.

"Is it about... him?"

"Yes."

After a brief silence, Yukino spoke again, "These are just some situations I have observed. To be honest, I haven't delved deeply into it, so if you don't want to hear it, Isshiki-kun, I will…"

"No, please tell me!" Iroha interrupted. She wanted to know everything about Chisato.

"Understood."

Yukino stood up and poured a cup of black tea for each of them. After sitting down again, she calmly began to describe what she knew about Chisato.

…

In the Music Room

"Ah—it's finally over."

In the first music room, with a prolonged wail, Kazusa stretched her arms behind her.

Before her lay math problems she had already completed.

"Thank you for your hard work. I'm here to check. Kazusa, please take a break first."

Chisato opened the chocolate packaging and stuffed a piece into Kazusa's slightly opened mouth.

"Well... Goto-san didn't come today," Kazusa remarked, puffing her cheeks as she left her seat.

"Maybe something happened. But isn't this perfect? Now we can be alone in our world."

Chisato casually replied while seated.

In reality, Hitori didn't come to the music room today due to his instructions. Various events had occurred over the weekend, and he hadn't gone to Kazusa. 

He felt it was necessary to make up for it at another time, ensuring that things remained balanced.

After all, they could see each other every night at Starry during working hours.

The phrase "a world for two" made Kazusa blush slightly, causing her to twitch momentarily.

The couple had just established their relationship, and she hadn't fully adjusted to the change in status. 

However, it didn't stop her from reacting enthusiastically during their intimate moments.

During this time, she worked diligently during her spare hours, knowing that only a few days remained before the monthly exam.

While it might be unrealistic to aim for the top of the list by improvisation, she was determined that her results could not remain at the bottom as they had in the past—that would be too embarrassing.

Of course, her main motivation came from the future Chisato had envisioned for her.

If they graduated together and attended the same university, perhaps they could adopt a cat when they lived together. 

They could cook in the kitchen after returning home at night and cozy up next to each other in the living room.

There were long-term plans that felt distant, but there were also immediate rewards within reach.

Kazusa had received a promise from Chisato.

Once the results of the monthly exam were released, if her ranking improved by more than fifty places compared to before, he would make time to take her to the beach during the holiday after the school festival to watch the sunrise.

It wasn't a grand reward, but it motivated Kazusa significantly.

The important thing was not just going to the beach or watching the sunrise, but spending time with him, which was exciting enough.

"The accuracy rate has improved. If we maintain this progress, it seems we'll easily meet the requirements I mentioned earlier, but we still can't be careless."

Quickly reviewing the incorrect parts of the exercises in front of her, Chisato vacated her seat.

"Try solving these incorrect questions by yourself first. If you still struggle, I'll teach you."

"Got it, Suzumiya-sensei."

Kazusa emphasized the word "sensei" as she deliberately recreated the dynamic they shared before their relationship was confirmed.

Now, however, the identities of teacher and student had been reversed.

Before she resumed answering the questions, Kazusa raised her head and asked the request she had been silently considering for a long time.

"Can I come see where you work tonight?"

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(17/22)

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